Long Hard Road
by Bookworms-HeartAndSoul
Summary: Now older, Walt reflects on his relationship with a certain somebody...someone no expected him to be with. R&R. WARNING: New pairing ahead! Rated T for events that occur.


**Dream: Now THIS was my idea. :P**

**Different: You know...this is really weird: we publish something that bashes Walt, and then something that is portraying him in a more positive light...oh, and this time, _I _was more the beta-person. xD**

**Dream: Well, we're weird people. And I appreciate your help. :)**

**Different: Yesh, we are. :3 And any time, sis. :) I'll be glad to help. Most likely. :P**

**Dream: So, this is a pairing my CC HyperAndProudOfIt and I made up when we were bored one day that eventually turned Diffy here into a shipper - Walyssa, also known as WaltxAlyssa.**

**Different: Well, Walter couldn't die alone, now could he? Well...he could...but then we'd probably be blamed for that, for shipping Jaz with other guys...xD Ah well. I like Walyssa. :3**

**Dream: Walyssa is cute. :) But their history is not exactly innocent.**

**Different: Nope. Seeing as they're not even engaged in this and - just read it.**

**Dream: *whistles innocently* TO THE BOTTOM A/N.**

Alyssa's steady breathing on his shoulder indicated Walt that she was now asleep. He turned his head to look at her, absentmindedly stroking her bare shoulder. She looked so peaceful when she slept, especially with him. He smiled at her, feeling all the love he felt for her rise inside his stomach, filling him completely with happiness. But, of course, the question lingered. He didn't want to ruin another relationship, after what had happened with both Sadie and Jaz, and he especially didn't want to lose Alyssa, the one girl he's sure he's truly loved.

Walt sighed, still in a state of shock. They were nineteen now, and living together in the same apartment - and making love. It made him feel so much for her, the love and passion intensifying. But it made him feel scared. At the beginning of their relationship, Alyssa had always been hesitant to go beyond the tender kisses. Which, Walt had to admit, was not unreasonable. He _had_ gotten pretty far with Sadie (never doing that, though) and tried to do it with Jaz, and Alyssa knew it. So he understood, and he had (for once) respected that - careful not to go past her barriers. She realized this, and slowly began to relent the defences. Slowly but surely, they began to advance - past just soft kisses they had shared before. He had enjoyed it, taking things slow. It gave him a chance to truly accept how much he loved her, to realize it. That love was more than just kissing.

He remembered the first time they had, ahem, made love, on this same bed. It brought heat and a smile onto his face. He looked down at Alyssa's peaceful face, moonlight catching on her wavy auburn hair. He remembered how firm she was when she told him she wanted to take their relationship to the next step, over just a few months ago.

Walt ran his fingers through her hair, taking a deep breath and smiling broadly - never before had he loved a scent so much that if he spent more than a week without smelling it, he would go crazy. And to think that this scent was of earth and the Wonderstruck perfume. So simple, but wonderful at the same time...just like her.

He then got lost in memories. He remembered a particular one...one before they had been dating. Apparently Walt talked in his sleep, and had evidently said her name quite a bit. Jaz had apparently been passing his door (probably going back to her dorm after making out with Alex) and heard. The next morning, she had threatened him to not use her best friend, which kind of delayed the already-planned Walt-asking-out-Alyssa part, seeing as Alyssa trusted her best friend's judgement more than almost anything.

Walt winced, remembering how Alyssa had always been so doubtful when he told her "I love you", and always hesitant to say it back. He remembered when he was 16, thinking over it and wondering if he had messed something up. Being _terrified _that he had, that she was going to hate him - and he'd lost the only girl he'd ever truly loved. He remembered all the fights they had, mainly about Sadie's constant flirting and Walt sometimes flirted back without noticing, or people that kept telling Alyssa to not trust him because he was a player, and it would end in Alyssa in near tears and he himself would have no sleep whatsoever until they made up. He could clearly recall - quite painfully - the time Alyssa had come so close to breaking up with him, a few weeks in, because Sadie had been blatantly flirting with him, in ways no girl should do with a boy who was dating another girl. He could still hear Alyssa's voice yelling at him, her face, tear tracks on her cheeks and still falling, with her hair falling into her eyes as she stormed out of his dorm. He couldn't even believe he had even _let_ Sadie flirt in such a...

Walt shuddered at the thought of what Alyssa would do to both him and Sadie if she'd tried that _now_ and he'd let her. It would not be pretty. The potter didn't show it much, but she had a temper - when it came to the people and things she was passionate about. And he was proud to be in that list.

He remembered one day when they had been relaxing in a park, with Alyssa in between his legs as he leaned back against a tree. She had been reading a book and he had (tried) to read along, but was too busy kissing her cheek. He finally asked why she liked to reread books so much if you knew what was going to happen. And she had answered, "Because I know it's solid, that it'll always be there, forever, and not disappear. Like you." He had been at a loss for words at that moment, overwhelmed by his girlfriend's love for him, and had simply kissed her. It was a sweet and tender kiss, that slowly got more passionate.

And then there was the time that she had made him a pot for his birthday. It was small, and carefully made and painted. It was small, but coated in an array of different colors, from tan to yellow to purple to blue. There was a small heart on one side, and sprouting from it was the letters that spelled out: "I love you, Walt - Alyssa." It made him feel so...joyous that she would put that much effort into him.

Walt chuckled softly when he heard the sudden scratching on the door. He knew it was the puppy that he had given Alyssa on her 19th birthday when she had mentioned over dinner that she missed having a dog. So he gave her a little puppy that was one of the cutest things in the world, right up there with babies and Jaz's innocent little sister. He'd even made sure it was a cocker spaniel, just like the one she used to have back home. The ecstatic look on her face was worth every penny (and late night due to the dog's scratching) he spent on the little puppy.

Of course, Alyssa would always be the cutest thing in his world.

He listened as the scratching finally faded - the little dog finally realized he wasn't allowed in on Friday nights, because it was the, ahem, Walt and Alyssa only in bedroom day Walt turned his attention back to Alyssa's slumbering form. He smiled, thinking of just how much he loved her, and how much he would do to prove it - and had done. His hand went to his bedside table, pulling out a velvet box that was beginning to get dusted.

Yep. Walt was going to propose to Alyssa. The only thing that kept him back was their age. Yes, yes, they're already living together and making love, and age is just a number, but they had just entered college. Did Alyssa want to marry him? Was she ready to marry him? He was almost scared to ask, scared of rejection, but he was going to do it. He was going to be brave and _ask her. _

He closed his eyes, and began to murmur his speech that he was planning to say at the proposal. "Alyssa, I love you more than anything in the world. You light me up, make me the happiest and luckiest man alive, and you're the one girl I'm sure I want to spend the rest of my life with. Will you marry me?" He could only hope she would say yes.

********

Walt sighed, putting the box back in it's place, and looked at Alyssa and stroked her hair, wondering why on earth he went after Sadie and Jaz when he had her. Her, Alyssa, her auburn hair, her soft brown eyes...Everything about her intrigued him.

********

And if Walt knew one thing for sure, it was that he loved Alyssa.

********

###

********

The next morning, it was Alyssa's soft kiss that woke him up. He opened his sleepy eyes and looked up at her, wavy hair falling around her face. "Mornin'," he murmured.

********

"Hey there, sleepy-head." Alyssa laughed, kissing his cheek. "Wake up."

********

"I'm up, I'm up," he replied, like a teenager to their parents. He grinned at her. She grinned back, slipping out of bed and he realized that she was wearing his shirt and shorts. He sat up, and smiled at her. Alyssa rolled her eyes and smiled back, tossing him his pants. He pulled them back.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Alyssa asked as she opened the door.

"I dunno." He wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. "What do you want?"

She responded slyly, "You." Then laughed at his expression.

"So I'm a breakfast food now?" he asked, jokingly.

"Maybe." She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He buried his face in the crook of her neck. "But really. What do you want for breakfast?"

"I want what you want."

"Fine, be that way," he whispered, giving a soft laugh against her neck. "Pancakes."

"Okay." She kissed his temple. "Why do you keep smelling my neck?"

"I don't really know," he laughed, pulling back. She smiled at him and pressed her lips to his. He kissed her softly, before pulling away and going to the kitchen, petting the puppy and grabbing the box of pancake mix out of the cupboard. She dropped the puppy after giving him a good morning hug and took out the pan. He handed her the box with a flourish. She laughed and began to work.

It was the kind of normal morning he'd never expected he'd have.

But he wouldn't trade it for the world. Especially _her_. Through everything, she'd been there. He loved her, and she loved him. All along that long hard road they'd suffered together.

**Dream: DID YOU GUYS LIKE IT?**

**Different: I think it's fairly good. :3 Is this the first Waylssa story?**

**Dream: Yep. WE ARE GOING DOWN IN TKC ARCHIVE HISTORY! :D**

**Different: Yayz, we are. :D**

**Dream: :P I'm already down in TKC Archive History as writing the first "Reading the series" story. :P**

**Different: I don't know if I'm in TKC Archive History. Well, now I am.**

**Dream: Yes you are, as the first person to write a collection of Zarter songfics.**

**Different: Oh, YAY. :D ...I just realized something.**

**Dream: Yeah?**

**Different: We forgot the disclaimer.**

**Dream: Easily arranged. WE DON'T OWN ALYSSA OR WALT OR SADIE OR JAZ. BUT I OWN THE MENTION OF ALEX.**

**Different: What she said. Review please? :) We love you, readers! :D In the non-creepy way!**


End file.
